Programme Support Advisor at Plan International

Role Purpose

• The purpose of the role is to support the proposal development process for Plan International Nigeria’s country programme objectives.
• The role will involve providing supporting to development of grant bid materials (proposals – narrative and budget, presentations and concept notes), project design, support proposal development workshops, design and validate consortia/bid team inputs, provide high quality proposal designs and review, and support the capacity building and training of programme teams and local partners on proposal development.

Dimensions of the Role

• Effectively manage communication with Plan International’s National Offices (NOs) and related donor agencies.
• The post holder will support the proposal development process of the Country Programme in close coordination with the programme teams.
• The post holder will be expected to support improving the proposal-writing capacity of Plan International Nigeria staff.
• She/he should have experience of living and working in developing countries; must have strong writing skills and will bring a well-established record of accomplishment of developing winning funding proposals to donors such as USAID, EC, ECHO, GAC, DFID, SIDA, GFFO, GIZ, UN Agencies, etc.
• She/he must have the ability to build networks with strategic partners and coordinate with the different units within the organization during the proposal development process.

Accountabilities

• Provide support to Plan International Nigeria’s programme delivery and resource mobilization. 
• Work with other members of the CO to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.  
• Provide timely responses concerning queries linked with relevant projects or programme. 
• Support project design and proposal development process by coordinating with technical specialists, finance, HR, procurement and other relevant departments to receive quality input and in a timely manner to develop and submit high quality proposals that are aligned to donor regulations.
• Work closely with Partnership Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Manager and Grants unit in supporting signing of new funding agreements. 
• Collaborate with Country Office grants unit to maintain up to date knowledge on donor funded projects and ensure reporting is completed to the donor in a timely manner. 
• Collaborate with Country Office Grants team, Project Managers and Technical Specialists to facilitate project start-up workshops, SAP project set-up, recruitment, work plan preparation, and to ensure that donor regulations are shared with project staff for compliance, and provide advice on institutional donor requirements and private foundations including reporting timeliness and expectations. 
• Regularly interface with programme staff to ensure that awarded projects are being implemented in line with the initial project design.
• Serve as one of the focal points for National Offices (NOs) on communication during proposal development process and reporting.
• Share regular updates on projects with NOs in close coordination with the programme staff.
• In close collaboration with the Partnerships Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Manager, engage with NOs about upcoming funding opportunities and communicate them to the programme team to prepare go/ no-go decisions.
• Maintain relationships with donor in country by sharing briefs and reports with donors. This includes maintaining networks and actively engaging in knowledge sharing, information dissemination about Plan International Nigeria. 
• Regularly conduct on the spot monitoring visit to project implementation sites and draw lessons from beneficiaries’ feedback for future programming.
• Support with the drafting of external reports and work with programme teams to finalize these in accordance with requirements and timelines. 
• Facilitate the initial start-up of the new project including, start-up workshops, SAP project set-up, recruitment, work plan preparation, donor coordination.
• Participate in donor meetings and update the Country Team appropriately.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge

• A Degree in Development Studies, Project Management, Business Studies, or Social Science (Master’s Degree or equivalent in international affairs, development or PMP, PMD certifications and related subjects will be an added advantage).
• Experience working with an INGO and development and humanitarian sectors with at least 3-5 years of work experience on a similar role. 
• Excellent knowledge of donor funded development and humanitarian programme design.
• Ability to design, conceptualize and interpret project log frame. 
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems, think and plan strategically, and communicate with key actors in a dynamic and unpredictable operating environment.
• Strong project management, coordination, teamwork and planning skills with proven ability to function effectively with multiple counterparts across work units, public and NGO sectors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English including excellent facilitation skills and demonstrated technical writing skills. 
• General knowledge and understanding of Humanitarian Principles and core standards e.g. CPIE Minimum standards, Core Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE and another relevant international standard for humanitarian response.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse international teams.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform.
• Proficiency in Ms Excel, Word and Microsoft Office applications.